Archive for category Volunteering
The Binational Musician
Posted by ONeil in Volunteering on October 23rd, 2009
Charlys on the Sax
Megan Rounseville, Volunteer
UPDATE: The Peace Corps Volunteers that worked with Charly have developed a website highlighting his school and are now collecting donations to support it through paypal.
I first met Charlys when he came to the Small Business Start-up Skills class I taught as a Peace Corps Volunteer in the Dominican border town of Pedernales. Although a Dominican national, he felt strongly his Haitian roots. Three times a week he would cross the bridge into the Haitian town of Anse-a-Pitre. He would leave the Dominican community of Pedernales, where he lived in a cement house with running water and electricity and cross the border into the Haitian town of Anse-a-Pitre where nearly everyone lived in basic houses with no utilities and little employment. The border divided the two realities that defined who Charlys was—both Haitian and Dominican blood flowed in his veins.
A great summer in the Dominican Republic.
Posted by Molano in Volunteering on August 28th, 2009
Jessica Du Rosseau, Volunteer PADF-Interdom Funglode.
Jessica and PADF team
I interned in the PADF office in Santo Domingo this summer working as an assistant to Mr. Fausto Rijo on his project dealing with the analysis of agricultural chains of small producers on the frontier. This was my first internship and first experience living abroad.
I arrived in the Dominican Republic two days after my last final at university and soon realized just how much I would have to learn and adapt. After driving around to see some of the sites, specifically the Malecon and Zona colonial, the driver brought me to my apartment at 10 pm on May 7. I sleepily stumbled through the door with my suitcases to find two roommates and a neighbor sitting on the couch. Looking around, the apartment was more than twice as big as my dorm room had been and beautifully decorated. The whole situation did not seem real for another week. Read the rest of this entry »
The twins, the cow and the Banana tree
Posted by Molano in Volunteering on August 21st, 2009
Ryan Alexander, Volunteer in Pedernales/Anse a Pitres.
Ryan Alexander
Now that my 3 month summer internship has come to an end, I look back at my experiences on the border in amazement, and cherish all that I have accomplished and experienced. The cross-border lifestyle and the southern coastal hospitality are a perfect blend of characteristics that are sure to generate experiences never to be forgotten.
An event that makes me smile to this very day is an incident that occurred late one night. The culprit was a cow: Cows roam the streets of Pedernales every night (to avoid people and the hot sun) in search of food. On one particular night I had left the fence door open; a huge mistake. A cow had entered the premises of my home that evening and took huge chomps out of my 2 foot high, newly planted banana trees, trees that I had been caring for since the very beginning of my internship. Surely enough, due to constant watering, good soil, and the resilient nature of banana trees, the trees grew back their leaves and will live to bear bananas (if the fence door remains shut).Since the banana plants were too small to bear fruit, I would do my shopping for bananas and other fruits and vegetables at the ‘bi-national’ market.
Amarilis Castillo-Caramés: a Leader for the Borderlands
Posted by ONeil in Perspectives, Volunteering on July 5th, 2009
Amarylis Castillo
Amarilis Castillo was born in Las Matas de Fanfan in the Dominican Republic, but had to emigrate to the US as a young woman. She lived 24 years in the U.S.and became a psychologist and social worker. In spite of this success, she remained concerned about the poverty back home in the Dominican borderlands. “I thought constantly of the people who were always empty-handed and wearing the same torn cloths.” Amarylis said. “I always wanted to return home and do something about it. I Worked with senior U.S. officials, including members of the Black Caucus. It has always had a strong belief in people and their ability to affect change.” Read the rest of this entry »
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